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Howell's violet

marsh violet

Habit Sparsely pubescent perennial from scaly rhizomes, 2-10 cm. tall. Glabrous perennial from slender, widespread rhizomes, with creeping stolons, the petioles and peduncles rising from the rhizomes.
Leaves

Leaf blades cordate to reniform-cordate, with coarse, rounded teeth, the petioles of the many basal leaves 10-15 cm. long;

stipules 3-10 mm. long, prominently toothed.

Leaf blades cordate to reniform, 2.5-3.5 cm. broad, with coarse, rounded teeth;

petioles up to 15 cm. long;

stipules chaffy, lanceolate, entire.

Flowers

Flowers 1.5-2 cm. long, the spur very prominent, saccate;

sepals obtuse, auriculate at the base;

petals bluish-violet to nearly white, strongly veined with purple, the lateral pair long-bearded;

style sparsely bearded.

Flowers 10-13 mm. long, the peduncle about the same length as the leaves;

petals white to lilac, the lower 3 purple-penciled, the lateral pair sparsely bearded;

style head glabrous, lobed.

Fruits

Fruit a 3-valved capsule, ovary superior, placentation parietal, seeds light brown.

Fruit a 3-valved capsule, ovary superior, placentation parietal, seeds dark brown.

Viola howellii

Viola palustris

Flowering time April-May May - July
Habitat Moist woods and prairies at low to moderate elevations. Moist meadows and streambanks, low to mid-elevations in the mountains
Distribution
Occurring west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, northeastern North America, and Eurasia.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
V. adunca, V. arvensis, V. canadensis, V. flettii, V. glabella, V. lanceolata, V. langsdorffii, V. macloskeyi, V. nephrophylla, V. nuttallii, V. odorata, V. orbiculata, V. palustris, V. pluviae, V. purpurea, V. renifolia, V. riviniana, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. sheltonii, V. sororia, V. tricolor, V. trinervata, V. ×wittrockiana
V. adunca, V. arvensis, V. canadensis, V. flettii, V. glabella, V. howellii, V. lanceolata, V. langsdorffii, V. macloskeyi, V. nephrophylla, V. nuttallii, V. odorata, V. orbiculata, V. pluviae, V. purpurea, V. renifolia, V. riviniana, V. selkirkii, V. sempervirens, V. sheltonii, V. sororia, V. tricolor, V. trinervata, V. ×wittrockiana
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